SHANGHAI, May 20./ITAR-TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he hoped Afghanistan’s new president to be elected in June would do his best to develop cooperation with Russia.

“Thanks to your efforts, Afghanistan has travelled a long way on the path of the development of the social and economic sphere, the armed forces. You have done much to carry out the first stage of the election race successfully,” Putin said at a meeting with President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai on Tuesday. “I hope that the second stage, the elections, would be completed and your successor would do his best to develop cooperation between our states.”

Karzai, in turn, thanked Putin for cooperation.

Runoff presidential elections in Afghanistan will be held on June 14. Candidates include former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah and former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai. The winner will be the candidate who scores the simple majority of votes.